Uhhh...that was more like 5 cents! Happy Halloween!!!! Go Gators! -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Stephen Manuel Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011 10:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [gatortalk] My Two Cents.....PLUS!
The argument I keep hearing is we have better talent than UGA and Auburn, what evidence would show that, other than opinion... I have no idea if we have better talent than those 2 teams and I follow recruiting as closely as anyone. The one thing I will say with some degree of certainty is we have less talent now than we did at the end of the 2009 season. The one piece of evidence I use is comparing what we had then with now, yesterday I watched the Steeler/Patriot game, I saw Maurkice Pouncy and Marcus Gilbert starting on the OL for the Steelers, I watched Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Spikes starting for the Patriots, then I looked at the UF/UGA replay and saw Jonathan Harrison, Matt Patchan, Jordon Reed, and Jon Bostic as replacements. To me that's a drop off of Grand Canyon proportions. I could go further, the other Pouncey is starting for the Dolphins, that makes 2 1st round and 1 2nd round NFL starter gone since 2009, does anyone seriously believe we have anywhere near that level of talent as replacements ?? For some reason and I have no idea why, penalties for 20 years or more have been an issue at UF, SOS, Meyer, and now Muschamp have been coaches but the problem still exists. IMO, one of the best ways to get some progress on this issue is to have a stacked roster and replace the guilty players with someone nearly as talented...IOW's use the BENCH as much as possible to motivate. Right now we simply do not have quality reserves at all positions. Finally on the DB criticism, I agree the two UGA TD passes are inexcusable, but two things. One is how many on this list thought Anthone Lott who at one time was referred to as "ANTOAST" would turn into an All-SEC DB and starter on a National Title team ?? The point being we have young players who I think are talented but like Lott are showing rookie mistakes that only time and experience can correct. Another reason I'm not bent out of shape over the DB play, is how different would those plays have turned out if Janoris Jenkins was playing, he could have locked down one WR and we could have doubled the other, might have made difference. The point is, one of Meyer's weaknesses was off the field issues, nearly every Gator Fan wanted to turn that image around, Muschamp did that he kicked Jenkins off the team to the detriment of the current season in some way, very few teams can kick off team their best DB and possible 1st round NFL draft pick and not suffer some degree of consequence. Just my .02 cents. Stephen Manuel -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
